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6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,539
15,064
Okay:
  1. 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long from ebay
  2. Find something to cut 2x 1.5" lengths
  3. Find drill bits to drill holes to fit M8 bolt and nut to hold ring terminals and M12 bolt on battery
  4. ???
  5. Hopefully electrical connectivity is achieved

Am I missing anything? My searching online for an off the shelf solution has failed.

www.ebay.com

1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
6thElement said:
Okay:
  1. 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long from ebay
  2. Find something to cut 2x 1.5" lengths
  3. Find drill bits to drill holes to fit M8 bolt and nut to hold ring terminals and M12 bolt on battery
  4. ???
  5. Hopefully electrical connectivity is achieved

Am I missing anything? My searching online for an off the shelf solution has failed.

www.ebay.com

1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
That should work. One option I was looking at was combining my connections using car audio hardware. Like 2 or more of the 4awg wires into one 1awg terminal.


 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
37,012
18,973
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
6thElement said:
Okay:
  1. 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long from ebay
  2. Find something to cut 2x 1.5" lengths
  3. Find drill bits to drill holes to fit M8 bolt and nut to hold ring terminals and M12 bolt on battery
  4. ???
  5. Hopefully electrical connectivity is achieved

Am I missing anything? My searching online for an off the shelf solution has failed.

www.ebay.com

1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1/4"x 1" C110 COPPER BAR 10" long Solid Flat Bar .25" Mill Bus Bar Stock H02 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
Drilling copper can be tricky, twist drills should be sharpened differently.
 
Jozz

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
6,550
8,443
SADL
I would not connect multiple wires directly to battery terminal. Positive side should go to inline fuse then to master switch then terminal block. Negative side to power management shunt then to terminal block. I've used flattened 3/4 inch copper pipe to create bus bar to eliminate the need to create big ass cables with crimper. Going strong for 4 years now.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,539
15,064
Jozz said:
I would not connect multiple wires directly to battery terminal. Positive side should go to inline fuse then to master switch then terminal block. Negative side to power management shunt then to terminal block. I've used flattened 3/4 inch copper pipe to create bus bar to eliminate the need to create big ass cables with crimper. Going strong for 4 years now.
Click to expand...
There aren't, positive has one line fused to the battery management system, one to the fuse/distribution block and then the red block one is the temp sensor. Negative just has the one to the shunt. All wired and fused as the BMS recommends in their manual according to the supplied wiring diagram I have for the camper.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
The revised bottom drawer cabinet. Waiting on 250# slides. I am putting 2 120mm PC case fans on the back for ventilation. Fits 2 200ah batteries.

IMG_20190915_105039.jpg
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
40,205
9,097


Gorgeous. But also absolutely ridiculously priced at $225k.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,539
15,064
^^ link fail as it wants a bookface login.

First night in our camper on Friday was great success. Didn't give enough airflow through the night so there was some condensation in the morning. The wildlife that wandered past at zero dark thirty definitely upset the dog shaped object too.

Hopefully my copper bar turns up today so I can make the adapters I need to link cabling to battery terminals to actually have power to the thing. It was hovering around freezing on Friday night so a little heat would have been nice.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,957
10,145
Crawlorado
Anyone in New England in the market for a sweet, 1995 Lance 480 truck camper? Fits an 8' bed and is ready for a trip of any magnitude.

A mere $4,000 gets you the camper as well as any hopes and dreams that come with it.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
So my buddy was somewhat inspired by my pursuit and decided he would do the same, only way worse.

He had this idea of getting a newish horse trailer that had the front living quarters and just extend it all the way back. It sounded like a viable option, but I didn't look at what one cost or try to estimate what a build would run vs just buying a trailer.

Long story long, he spent $38k on a '03 40' that has half the living space dryrotted from a fridge vent that leaked. He still seems to think he got a fair deal, but the interior of it isn't modular type construction. The fridge cabinet it one piece with the wall, so pulling everything out without wrecking it has proven harder than expected.

I found a number of newer 5th wheels with no issues for less than $40k, but I wasn't looking at horse trailers. :rofl:
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,539
15,064
Also not surprised, people are often assholes.

Where wife and I camped in national forest on Friday night someone had used a chest of drawers for firewood, left bits of it scattered and a bunch of panes of glass which must have been part of the construction. Wife and I disposed of the glass otherwise you know it would have likely been smashed all over the ground by one of the next occupants.
 
rideit

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
25,087
12,753
In the cleavage of the Tetons
6thElement said:
Also not surprised, people are often assholes.

Where wife and I camped in national forest on Friday night someone had used a chest of drawers for firewood, left bits of it scattered and a bunch of panes of glass which must have been part of the construction. Wife and I disposed of the glass otherwise you know it would have likely been smashed all over the ground by one of the next occupants.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,957
10,145
Crawlorado
jimmydean said:
Also note that many Walmarts no longer allow free car camping.
Click to expand...
As it was explained to me by several Walmarts, it is not the company or the individual store that doesn't allow it, it is city ordinances that do not allow people to stay overnight. Major kudos to Walmart for still allowing people to stay. We've probably spent a good 30+ nights at Walmarts over the past year and other than a bit of sketch at the Grand Prairie, AB location, all were pleasant.

It is extremely challenging to find places to stay in some areas, and given some of the stuff we saw, I'm not surprised municipalities are cracking down. Definitely a shame.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
Good to know. A lot of the spots we checked out with the app were pretty sketch. Frita isn't stealth and so it isn't like you wouldn't notice her parked by a school or playground.

Despite that, I am quite happy with the chosen form factor.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,957
10,145
Crawlorado
Freecampsites.net and Campendium were our go to sites. Just be sure to read the comments, sometimes they would give recent updates, or better directions, or warnings about the road conditions that saved us a few headaches.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,539
15,064
It's alive!

Cloudy day though so I can't see my full 190W solar potential.

Might have to rotate 180deg as the top of the battery holder is close to the cold water line...
20190918_135046_resized.jpg
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
rideit said:
Which app?
There’s a bunch now...
Click to expand...
Overlander I think it was called. I deleted it after the first weekend we tried to use it The wife is somewhat picky. She doesn't want to be right next to someone like you are at a traditional RV park, so campsites have been our best bet. Large tent sights have worked out well twice now so at least we know what to look for now.

There are a bunch of sites along the OR/WA coast we are looking to hit. Now is the time to start booking 9 months out and I should be farther along by then. :D
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,340
10,266
Jozz said:
And yet, nobody around that can fix them...
edit: at least as far as Sprinters are concerned.
Click to expand...
i forget who it is i am following on instagram.....sprinter died....black glow plug death....or something like that.....having engine replaced....
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,340
10,266
Adventurous said:
Major kudos to Walmart for still allowing people to stay.
Click to expand...
this.

or....

pull into gas station....buy gas/food/drink/snacks.....park in back out of the way and crash....never had a problem.

also....

the idaho state trooper/cop who did not hassle me for sleeping at one of the car pull outs along HWY 55 the other night....slept off and on for about 8 hours....more sleep than i ever get at home.
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,340
10,266
i also passed the mother of all school bus conversions outside missoula parked in a field.....sons of bitches added about 4 feet of roof height....just to make sure it can't fit under a bridge i guess....
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
37,012
18,973
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
stevew said:
this.

or....

pull into gas station....buy gas/food/drink/snacks.....park in back out of the way and crash....never had a problem.

also....

the idaho state trooper/cop who did not hassle me for sleeping at one of the car pull outs along HWY 55 the other night....slept off and on for about 8 hours....more sleep than i ever get at home.
Click to expand...
I have stayed overnight at New York State Thruway rest stops...
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,957
10,145
Crawlorado
Wrote this for another forum I'm on, figured it was worth sharing for any of you hooligans considering wandering.

1. Get an unlimited data cell service plan. You'll need it. Whether its using Google maps, doing internet research, posting pictures, or streaming multimedia, you'll burn through data quickly. Be sure to read the fine print for the carrier, in our case we only get 1/2 GB of data per day in Canada, which may seem like a lot, but it goes awfully quickly. Also, a cell service booster can be awfully handy if you can afford it. There are large swaths of the country that offer little service where a cell booster could mean the difference between being unable to load anything and being able to get 3 bars.

2. Leave plenty of time to test out your camping setup/gear. You are bound to learn that what is okay for a weekend may not be good for a week, and what may be good for a week is untenable for a month+. Use all systems extensively and download user manuals, electrical diagrams, and schematics if possible. Things will break, and most often they break out in the middle of nowhere.

3. The best camp sites are free camp sites. We've mainly used www.freecampsites.net and www.campendium.com . Walmarts, Cabelas, Cracker Barrels, Lowes, highway rest areas, and truck stops can also be good alternatives in urban areas where camping is scarce. Also worth checking out is the Harvest Hosts program. For a membership fee you have the opportunity to stay at select farms, vineyards, and golf courses around the country. For instance, the wife and I just spent 2 nights at a cheese factory on the west coast of Oregon. Instead of spending $100+ for camping in an area with little free camping, we instead wined and dined at the cheese shop.

4. Socialize! Admittedly neither one of us are great at it, but traveling gave us an opportunity to catch up with old friends around the country as well as meet new friends. Meet up with similar folks on Instagram, PM people here from Expedition Portal, chat up your campground neighbors, you never know who you'll run into. We've been given smoked salmon, shared beers and dinner with a couple of German adventure motorcyclists who through a misunderstanding poached our site but we shared it to ease their burden, and camped on someone's property while they weren't home. Traveling people have similar mindsets and you'll make friendships and a network across the country. Attend an overland rally or meetup while you are on the road!

5. If you intend to start a website or Instagram with the hope of gathering a following, start it way before the trip to start engaging an audience. If you wait until the trip starts, you are already behind.

6. Get your vehicle sorted out ahead of time. Address all maintenance, get recalls addressed, and if you intend to install aftermarket parts, do it now. It can be hellaciously difficult to do work on the road, nevermind source parts, so do it well in advance. Speaking of which, carry enough tools to get out of trouble, but be careful not to get carried away. Carry extra fuel, gas stations in more remote locations aren't always open 24/7 and sometimes run out of fuel.

7. Get your finances in order. Make sure your bank has national coverage or that you have a way to get cash wherever you go. Get rewards credit cards, preferably with fuel rewards as you'll be filling up a lot. Get their mobile apps and make sure you have monthly minimum payments set up. You'll be hard to get in touch with if something is amiss, so make sure your affairs are in order. Accounts must be paid up or closed out, you have to get nationwide healthcare on the open market (can be a huge pain), and a confidant must be there to open your mail and relay any important messages. Start selling excess possessions well ahead of time. Get a storage unit and fill it as far in advance as possible. Time grows awfully short as you approach departure day, and you'll need all of that time to tie up loose ends.

8. Get a gym membership at a nationwide chain like Planet Fitness. They are super handy to score a shower. Bring baby wipes, cause a good shower can be many days off. Longest we've gone is 9 days between. You can shower at campgrounds, RV parks, laundromats, community centers, and truck stops. Thinking of a nice short hairstyle? Now's the time. Bring hats not only for warmth but to spare onlookers from the greasy tangles.

9. Plan breaks! As free as life on the road might seem from afar, it too has its stresses. Finding places to sleep at night, making sure you have food/fuel/water, planning ahead while trying to live in the moment, updating social media, it can be overwhelming at times. We took several months off in the middle of our travels to recuperate and get some planning done. Keep in mind if you intend to head to some popular places like Yosemite, camping books out months in advance, so keep an eye on that. Same with holidays.

10. Learn to love podcasts, they'll make long days behind the wheel tolerable. Some of our favorites: Serial season 1, In the dark season 1 and 2 (season 2 is THE BEST), Dirty John...find ones you like and stock up.

11. If you really need to order something on the road, quite often you can have it sent to a FedEx or UPS store. Likewise, if you order through Amazon, you can have it sent to an Amazon locker in select locations.

12. Get a great camera and learn to use it. For most people this chances only comes once in a lifetime. Take the pictures, take the video, make sure you have plenty of memories and pictures to document the trip with.

13. Learn to live in the moment. Roll with the punches Go to places on a whim. Eat the good foods. Jump into that 38* lake. Catch all the sunsets you can.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,499
15,701
Portland, OR
So I have pretty much every wire I need ran at this point. Got all my wires loomed up and just need to finish tucking stuff away. It is raining pretty good today, I don't think I will mess with trying to cut my last wall panel yet. But it should be all ready to button up.

IMG_20190922_124600.jpg
 
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